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Thursday, January 24, 2008

Amos Brown: Carson Must Address Farrakhan Issue

Folks in some quarters think Advance Indiana is being "Rovean" in raising issues about the decision of the late Rep. Julia Carson's family, including her grandson Andre, to invite controversial Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan to speak as an honored guest at the congresswoman's funeral, and to accept the endorsement of Farrakhan during the services as the person who should replace her in Congress. But even WTLC's radio talk show host Amos Brown agrees it is an issue Carson must confront in his campaign to win the 7th District special election on March 11 to fill her vacancy and earn the right to be elected to serve out a full term. Brown wrote in a recent "Just Telling It" column in the Indianapolis Recorder:

Many whites are suspicious of Andre’s religion. Andre and his wife are Muslim — regular Muslim, not Nation of Islam. But some white Democrats were nervous and skeptical of Minister Louis Farrakhan’s speaking at Julia Carson’s funeral. Elrod will make Andre’s religion an issue. Andre must address the religion issue and his patriotism and inclusiveness.

To hear Brown describe it, only whites are concerned about the appearance of the anti-Semitic, anti-gay and racist Farrakhan at Carson's funeral. I can't imagine a respected white radio talk show host making a similar assertion about white supremacist David Duke without hearing public outrage ala Don Imus. Brown proudly poses with Farrakhan in this photo displayed on WTLC's website, where Farrakhan is referred to as the "Honorable." Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) recently repudiated Farrakhan after it was disclosed by the Washington Post's Richard Cohen that Obama's church had recently bestowed an honor on Farrakhan. Obama's minister claimed Farrakhan "truly epitomizes greatness" in honoring him. "I decry racism and anti-Semitism in every form and strongly condemn the anti-Semitic statements made by Minister Farrakhan," Obama said. Judging from the comments reacting to the attempted hit piece on Advance Indiana and the campaign of Jon Elrod at the liberal Democratic blog, Blue Indiana, this issue is as much of a problem among Democrats for Andre Carson's campaign as it is among Republicans and independents. This issue will not die as much as Carson's campaign wishes it would. Carson's defense, according to his campaign treasurer Erin Rosenberg, is that it was his grandmother's dying wish that Farrakhan speak at her funeral. Rosenberg, incidentally, was the only person to walk out on Farrakhan's speech during the funeral.

6:29, thanks for the post-dinner chuckle. You'll vote for Andre because you don't know where Elrod is on the war? Please. If you think "Andre is great", then Elrod's war views are inconsequential to you.

Amos Brown has never let facts, nor consistency, get in his way. Recall, he was the only "journalist" to score an interview with Julia in the month before she died. He did it the Sat. before the November election. He allowed the Carson gulag to determine where the interview would be, and withheld that information from listeners. He would not air that interview until after the Nov. 5 election, at the supposed insistence of the Carson camp.

What true journalist would agree to such conditions for an interview?

And as a journalist, was he not compelled to inform listeners his impression of Julia's condition?

I listened to the interview, and he threw her one softball after another. He was 10% journalist and 90% Carson mouthpiece in that setting. It was disgraceful.

So if even he proclaims that Andre must explain this away, you know it's hurting Andre.

So, Andre is not a NOI member, but is a "regular" Muslim in AmosWorld? I'm sure the hundreds of millions of non "regular" Muslims worldwide are pleased that Amos has defined all the Muslim world so neatly and compactly.

I find this story hard to believe, Julia Carson was an experience politician. Why would she ask for the minister to speak at her funeral? I believe Andre received some bad advise that what it sounds like to me. With a demographic of 28 percent African American, 70 percent white, it just do not add up. This is where Andre lack of experience will hurt him. And this will be the issue that will keep our community divided. What was he thinking?

Let's keep bashing Julia although she has been buried for over a month. The republicans have to have so much fun..and their lives are so dull that they get their kicks making fun of and telling lies about people who have died.

anon 9:41, Abdul did not seriously address the issue with Andre. Abdul is skating on thin ice. His family converted to the Nation of Islam when Abdul was a child and moved to Chicago. Abdul always tells his listeners that his family converted to Islam, but he always omits the fact that they joined the Nation of Islam.

This NOI issue has been addressed repeatedly. Farrakhan was here at Julia's wish.....I am sure that Andre would have preferred that he not be here......but out of respect we honor the wishes of the dead....I am going to have to listen to heavy old Baptist hymns and some Baptist preacher when my mother dies and that will be way worse than having Farrakhan at a funeral..........

12:05, You are absolutely correct about Abdul. His parents took the same last name as did Malcolm X, Shabazz. Abdul Hakim-Shabazz was born into a Nation of Islam family and was raised as such. His parents, like many in the Nation of Islam, left the NOI and became involved in a splinter group of the Nation of Islam led by Elijah Muhammed's son Imam W. Deem Mohammed. This splinter group created an Americanized version of Islam with it's membership composed of former Nation of Islam followers.This is the reason that Abdul was able to interview Andre Carson. They are two cut from the same cloth with the same NOI backgrounds.Take your pick between Amos and Abdul. One such as Amos makes it very clear where he stands but Abdul hides his true beliefs under the cloth conservative black Republicanism he has chosen as his persona. In short, Abdul is a fraud with an agenda. He was raised that way.Andre Carson is being used as Trojan horse by the Americanized Black Muslim community and Abdul Hakim-Shabazz has pledged his full support.Cast your votes wisely.

I wouldn't subscribe to the idea that there is some grand conspiracy here, but I fully subscribe to the view that Abdul is being completely disengenous with his listeners on this issue. He wants to turn the issue around and say people are making an issue of it because Andre is Muslim when he knows damn well that this issue is being raised because of Farrakhan's opportunity to speak at Julia's funeral and his endorsement of Andre's candidacy. Farrakhan is an avowed racist, anti-Semite and anti-gay bigot. That is undeniable. And it simply doesn't cut it to say, but I don't subscribe to any of his views while you break bread with the guy.

6:43, You are wrong. Farrakhan was invited to speak at Julia's service by Nation of Islam Minister Luri Muhammad of Indianapolis Mosque 74. Minister Muhammad is a confidant and supporter of Andre Carson.Do not drag Julia's name thru the mud over a political decision that was made by Andre Carson and Indianapolis Nation of Islam leader Luri Muhammad.Andre Carson allowed Farrakann to speak as a means of gaining political and financial support from Luri Muhammad and his followers in the Indianapolis Black Muslim community.Julia Carson had NOTHING to do with Louis Farrakhan!

"Abdul Hakim-Shabazz was born into a Nation of Islam family and was raised as such."

Anon 12:05, I think you have it wrong. As I recall Abdul explaining it, his parents converted to Islam after he was born because he's talked about the change of celebrating X-mas as a child and then no longer celebrating it after his parents converted. It should also be obvious to everyone who listens to Abdul's show that he is not an adherent of the Muslim faith.

A local Muslim minister invited Louis F. to Julia's funeral? How is that possible? You sure it wasn't Vanessa Sommers? Or hell why not Bob Orr's ghost or Mitch or Bart or Ballard...geeeeesh.

This is all really quite answer-able.

Q: Andre, did you have anything at all to do with the invitation extended to Minister F. at your grandma's funeral? If so, what?

A: _________________________.

My Mar. 11 voting mind is made up without the Minister F. answer, but I know many, many folks who do want to know that answer before they choose. And none of them are what I'd call religious bigots. They just recoil, naturally, at a man who has made a living out of intimidating folks, especially non-believing blacks, gays and Jews.

By the way, Center Ward, if you know the funeral speaker protocol, many of us have been wondering: who asked Burnetta to get up there and make a fool of herself?

Not that she's not perfectly capable of doing it without help.But she so rarely does anything political without getting paid.

AI, I respectfully disagree with you regarding your statements about Abdul. Abdul has meantioned his faith on a number of occasions. His parents once celebrating Christmas when he was a child? Sorry, can't buy that bs either.Personally, I don't care if Abdul prays to a bottle of Scotch but for him to lie and pretend to be something he's not it certainly undermines his credibilty, not that he ever had any to begin with.You are doing your readers a disservice by making statements that are not necessarily factual regarding Abdul's parent's not being former Nation of Islam followers. Such dismissiveness plays directly into the hands of Abdul not asking the hard questions of Andre Carson and Louis Farrakhan during his interview.Honestly, did you really think Abdul would give you straight dope? Why would he? It's in his self interest not to do so. Would a person in a quasi-celebrity position like Abdul admit that their parents were once active in the KKK if you asked them? No.If Abdul Hakim-Shabazz wants to support Andre Carson that's his business. Why he wants to support Andre Carson is my business becaue I don't sit with a mic in my mouth every day.Ruth Holladay suffers from the same malaise. She takes Andre Carson and Erin Rosenberg's word on this NOI issue and then just drop it without any further investigation. Her puff article on her interview with Andre helped give Andre a free ride and allowed her to maintain her close friendship with Erin. A good reporter would have seen that the issue was far from being accurately given.

8:59, your local Muslim Minister was not a Muslim Minister. Luri Muhammad is a Nation of Islam Black Muslim.He sat front and center at Julia's service with Louis Farrakhan.Protocal? It was followed thru Andre and Luri. Farrakhan came at the request of Andre and Luri with Luri making the call to Farrakhan.You don't have to be drunk to know the facts you just have to pay attention which is something the voters in the 7th District don't seem to be very good at.Andre Carson will not answer the questions because he doesn't have to. He's a Carson. He gets special treatment.If the voters of the 7th District want a person who's candidacy is publicly supported by these racist national and local Nation of Islam leaders then they can vote for Andre Carson.

If Erin Rosenberg actually did walk out of Julia's service because of Farrakhan's presence it sure didn't take her long to walk back in.Did it ever occur to her exactly why she was chosen to be treasurer of Andre's campaign? Let's just put it this way, Andre's not going to find any much cash at Broadmoor CC.Wake up Erin.

11:47--excellent point. Sometimes we're being used when we least expect it.

Young sweet Erin is green. She'll get battle scars soon enough.

She reads this regularly--Erin, darlin, why did you leave the Carson funeral? Was it a statement about the good Minister LF's message? Cause I listened intently...his usual diatribe was left at the door. He was gassy, but not nearly as hateful as he usually is. He even complimented the Israelites. It was high theatre. And strange. Visions of Shirley MacLaine, as Weezuh Beudreaux in "Steel Magnolias," when asked why she was so sour all the time...

"I'm not sour. I've just been in a particularly bad mood for 30 years. Pleasant?!? I can be pleasant. I saw Drum at the Piggy Wiggly this morning and I smiled at the son of a bitch."

I saw Louis F.'s smile several times at Julia's funeral.

It'd be nice to know who ordered up the eulogy. Hell we may never know.

As long as you guys talk about this jackass Abdula Butthead...you will give him good ratings...this is what clowns like him does for a living...controversy sells. I do not even listen to his show, let a long admire his propaganda that he is promoting in indianapolis. Abdulala...made it perfectly clear that he is not from Indianapolis, he is from Chicago. Come on wake up! Turn off the dial and start listening to some soft music. His stank tale will moonwalk back to Chicago with a foot in his tale.

I am a Debmocrat and I am retired military. You cannot imagine how I detest this President and this insane war that America did not have to fight. I voted for Julia in the last election because she was a Democrat - I cared not about her race. However, Andre Carson, in what musthave been a bit of absolute political stupidity - asked LouisFarrakhan to speak at his Grandmother's funeral knowing full well that he would likely get the nomination to fill her seat.I am not going to vote for Andre Carson because of what I see as a racist atatchment to a leader of a hate group. I am voting against Committeeman Carson because he is a idiot! And, We The People of theState of Indiana have enough idiots in Washington already.

Andre did NOT plan his grandmother's funeral. Andre is smart and I am certain that if he had the opportunity that he would not have permitted Farrakhan to speak. Andre is not part of the NOI [unlike Abdul] and those who keep spreading this lie ....are doing so for political gain....how shaming.

Just because Farrakhan is the most evil person in the world (according to the media). all for his words when some actions in their religion are gruesome. Rape incest gay Yep I did say gay . u think. It's right cause the media say so . Action speaks louder than words

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